In December 1998, CPTers tried to meet U.S. President Bill
Clinton in Bethlehem, West Bank, with banners calling for an end to land
confiscation and home demolition . Clinton never got close enough to see the
banners. In July 1999, Clinton flew into an Air Force base near the Pine
Ridge Reservation, home of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) people, for a visit.
Lakota people protesting the transfer of treaty land to the state of South
Dakota asked CPTers to hold signs at the venue where Clinton appeared
calling for a repeal of the Mitigation Act and for the U.S. government to
respect the Fort Laramie Treaties of 1868 and 1851. CPTers wanted the
attention of the press -- maybe the president, who was to shake hands with
the public at the Air Force base before heading for the next stop on his
"poverty tour." A drum group of five Native American men warmed up as did
the heat of the day. CPTer Jake Kaufman crossed into the base to hand out
flyers to press people and got the attention of an officer standing guard.
He told Kaufman that the line of the Air Force base was several dozen meters
away and warned her to return to the group of 10 sign-holding die-hards.

As Kaufman returned, the group noted Air Force and security
officers gathering. Shortly the base commander, a secret service agent and a
sergeant came to asked the group's purpose. He looked straight at Kaufman
rather than asking the Native American people present. A Lakota woman
speaking for the group said they would be a nonviolent presence and would
not block traffic.

After two hours and an interim visit, the officers returned, with permission
from the wing commander for some of the group to go into the base and hold
their signs alongside the general public later.
In the meantime, local police dropped by -- once with an order to move our
cars from the Dominoes parking lot in front of several closed stores. They
were the only two vehicles in the lot.

Most people passing by gave a thumbs-up or waved and went on into the base
or its museum with its missile silo poking into the sky. However, one driver
poked his head out of his window and said, "Hey, you guys are lost. Go back
to the reservation."

At noon, the group decided to pack up. The people who made it on to the base
said they had been able to hold their signs there. One woman even greeted
the president, shook his hand and told him her uncle is Ben Nighthorse
Campbell. The president did a doubletake and said, "I'll be sure to mention
that I met you." Encouraged, she held out a flyer about the Mitigation Act
to him but was told she had to give it to an aide instead.

Attention from the national press continues to elude the camp
but maybe one of the aides will take a chance and read a bit of
truth. And maybe, that will help balance the perspective that Tom Daschle,
the Senator who both pushed the Mitigation Act through and helped Clinton
with impeachment hearings shares with the president